Acrylic Acid–2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer AA/AMPS Acrylic acid–AMPS copolymer CAS 40623-75-4

Tree Chem manufactures AA/AMPS with consistent molecular architecture and strong hydrophilic–anionic functionality, enabling effective dispersion of calcium carbonate, mud, and metal oxides. The sulfonic-acid and carboxylic-acid groups provide superior resistance to high hardness and high salinity, making AA/AMPS a preferred component in multi-ingredient cooling-water treatment programs.

AA/AMPS is supplied as a colorless to yellow viscous liquid, available in multiple solid-content specifications (30% and 40%). It provides high performance in formulations containing phosphonates, polycarboxylates, and corrosion inhibitors. For purchasing or customized formulation support, please contact info@cntreechem.com.

Specification

Basic Information

Technical Specification

Applications

Water Treatment Industry

• AA/AMPS (acrylic acid–2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymer) is first and foremost a high-performance scale inhibitor and dispersant for industrial water treatment. Its backbone carries both carboxyl and sulfonic acid groups, giving it strong chelation, lattice-distortion and dispersion performance. In industrial circulating cooling-water systems for steel, power, petrochemical and fertilizer plants, AA/AMPS chelates Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Fe³⁺, adsorbs at crystal growth sites and prevents dense CaCO₃, CaSO₄, Ca₃(PO₄)₂ and zinc deposits from forming on heat-exchange surfaces. The sulfonic groups keep microcrystals and suspended solids well dispersed, so scale turns into loose, non-adherent particles that are easily removed by flow, allowing equipment to run at higher cycles of concentration with stable heat-transfer efficiency.
• In practical cooling-water programs, AA/AMPS is dosed at only a few to a few tens of milligrams per liter, yet shows a pronounced threshold effect: even at 6 mg/L, it can achieve very high CaCO₃ scale-inhibition efficiency under appropriate test conditions. AA/AMPS is often compounded with organophosphonates such as ATMP, HEDP or PBTCA and with zinc salts, where synergistic effects improve both scale inhibition and corrosion protection. Formulations based on AA/AMPS can support high-alkalinity, high-hardness and high-pH operation, and are widely used in power-station cooling water, chemical-plant recirculating loops and metallurgical cooling systems requiring low phosphorus or phosphorus-free solutions.
• AA/AMPS is also employed in boiler-water treatment. In low-pressure systems it can be used with EDTMPS as an internal treatment agent to prevent carbonate and phosphate scaling on tube surfaces while helping to soften and gradually remove old deposits. In medium- and high-pressure boilers, AA/AMPS is compounded with phosphate treatment to keep internal surfaces clean under higher temperature and pressure. Its good thermal and oxidative stability, along with broad pH tolerance, allows it to function effectively across a wide range of boiler conditions without significant degradation.
• In oilfield injection-water systems, AA/AMPS acts as a scale inhibitor and dispersant under high-salinity, high-hardness conditions. Reservoir and injection waters often contain Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ba²⁺, which tend to form CaCO₃ and BaSO₄ scales in wellbores, tubing and reservoir formations. AA/AMPS binds these ions, delays or prevents nucleation and controls growth of scale crystals, helping to maintain injectivity and reduce the need for mechanical or acid cleaning. It can also be used in oilfield wastewater treatment, where its dispersion and chelation help remove suspended solids and heavy-metal ions.
• In reverse-osmosis (RO) and other membrane-separation systems, AA/AMPS is used as a membrane antiscalant. It is suitable over a wide pH window and can tolerate elevated feed-water temperatures. Typical dosages are a few milligrams per liter, sometimes in blends with PASP, PAPEMP or PBTCA to enhance performance against CaSO₄, CaCO₃ and silica-related fouling. Such formulations help maintain membrane flux, extend cleaning intervals and lengthen membrane service life in brackish-water, mining-water and industrial-wastewater RO units.

Pulp and Paper Industry

• In the pulp and paper sector, AA/AMPS functions as a chelating agent, dispersant and retention aid. During pulping, it complexes detrimental metal ions such as iron, copper and manganese that otherwise catalyze peroxide decomposition and degrade pulp brightness. By binding these metals, AA/AMPS improves the efficiency of oxidative bleaching stages, reduces bleaching-chemical consumption and stabilizes brightness.
• AA/AMPS also serves as a dispersant for mineral fillers such as ground and nano-calcium carbonate. It lowers particle surface energy, improves slurry rheology and enhances dispersion of fine particles in the stock. Better dispersion translates into higher opacity and whiteness, as well as improved printability. In bleaching-aid formulations, AA/AMPS can participate in in-situ copolymer systems together with acrylic acid and sulfonated monomers, forming highly effective aids that stabilize hydrogen peroxide and improve the uniformity and stability of bleaching.
• In papermaking, AA/AMPS acts at low dosage as a retention and dispersion aid. It improves filler and fine-fiber retention, reducing raw-material loss and enhancing sheet formation and uniformity. Its ability to control the interaction between dissolved ions and colloids helps maintain stable white-water conditions, contributing to fewer deposits on machine parts, better runnability and more consistent paper quality. Recommended dosages in papermaking are typically fractions of a percent on oven-dry pulp, adjusted according to system requirements.

Textile Printing and Dyeing Industry

• In textile printing and dyeing, AA/AMPS is widely used as a chelating dispersant, stabilizer and auxiliary across pretreatment, dyeing and printing processes. During desizing and scouring, it chelates calcium and magnesium from hard water and from the fabric surface, improving removal of starch, waxes and other impurities and preventing metal-catalyzed degradation of auxiliaries. In peroxide bleaching, AA/AMPS acts as a stabilizer, suppressing metal-catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and ensuring uniform, high-whiteness results. Typical use levels are in the range of 0.5–2 g/L, together with wetting agents and stabilizers, at moderate to high temperatures and neutral to alkaline pH.
• In dyeing processes with reactive or disperse dyes, AA/AMPS serves as a chelating dispersant and leveling agent. It complexes hardness ions that otherwise form insoluble dye–metal complexes and spoil color yield. At the same time it helps maintain fine and stable dispersion of dye particles in the bath, reducing aggregation and improving levelness. Under conditions of wide pH (acidic to alkaline) and temperature (up to 130 °C), AA/AMPS contributes to reproducible shades, fewer specks and lower re-dyeing rates.
• In printing, AA/AMPS is incorporated into print pastes as a dispersant and paste stabilizer. It prevents pigment and dye flocculation, maintains paste viscosity and allows high-definition patterns with clean edges and bright shades. Dosages are usually between a few tenths to about one percent on paste weight. For equipment cleaning in textile plants, AA/AMPS is used at several grams per liter in alkaline cleaning baths to remove scale and dye residues from machines and pipelines, helping restore clean surfaces and stable water quality.

Metal Processing and Surface Treatment Industry

• In metal processing, AA/AMPS plays multiple roles as a component of metal-cleaning formulations, as a complexant in cyanide-free electroplating baths, and as an additive in phosphating and passivation systems. In acid or mixed acid/alkali cleaners, AA/AMPS is combined with inorganic or organic acids (such as hydrochloric, glycolic or citric acid) and surfactants. Within these formulations it chelates dissolved metal ions, accelerates removal of water scale and oxide layers and helps keep detached rust, scale and particulate matter dispersed in the cleaning solution. This allows better cleaning efficiency and lower acid consumption while reducing base-metal attack.
• In cyanide-free copper electroplating, AA/AMPS acts as an important complexing component in highly alkaline baths. By forming stable complexes with copper ions, it controls deposition kinetics and promotes formation of uniform, dense and bright copper coatings at moderate current densities. Typical bath compositions include copper salts, potassium sulfate and high levels of AA/AMPS-based complexant at a controlled pH and temperature. Similar principles apply in zinc plating, where AA/AMPS helps to refine grain structure and reduce dendritic growth, improving coating smoothness and corrosion resistance.
• As a phosphating additive, AA/AMPS can be introduced into zinc-phosphate baths to refine crystal size, increase coating compactness and enhance paint adhesion and corrosion resistance. In passivation and other surface-treatment solutions, AA/AMPS contributes to formation and stabilization of protective films on steel and other metals, helping to raise their resistance to corrosive media while complying with increasingly strict environmental requirements compared with traditional heavy-metal-based treatments.

Daily Chemical and Personal-Care Industry

• In household and institutional detergents, AA/AMPS is valued as a low- or zero-phosphorus builder, chelating agent and formulation stabilizer. In liquid or powder laundry detergents, it complexes Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ in hard water, preventing formation of insoluble deposits, improving surfactant efficiency and reducing soil redeposition on fabrics. It also suppresses metal-catalyzed degradation of surfactants, fragrances, enzymes and optical brighteners, thus improving product stability, appearance and shelf life.
• In dishwashing liquids and other kitchen and bathroom cleaners, AA/AMPS enhances removal of limescale and metallic soils from tableware and hard surfaces. It reduces spotting on glass and stainless steel and helps maintain clarity of liquid formulations during storage. Because AA/AMPS is phosphorus-free and has good environmental compatibility, it is a useful component in eco-label and low-phosphorus formulations.
• In personal-care products, AA/AMPS is used at low levels as a chelant and stabilizer. In skin-care and cleansing formulations, it binds trace metal impurities present in water or raw materials, reducing discoloration and rancidity over time. In oxidative hair-dye systems, AA/AMPS can stabilize peroxide oxidants, preventing premature decomposition and ensuring that sufficient active oxidant remains during application for consistent color development. In shampoos and body washes, AA/AMPS enhances cleaning performance in hard water and supports the stability of the overall formulation.

Oilfield Chemicals, Drilling and Enhanced Recovery

• Beyond its role in injection-water scale control, AA/AMPS is also used in more specialized oilfield chemicals. Copolymers based on AA/AMPS and other monomers can function as fluid-loss reducers in drilling fluids, where they help maintain filter-cake integrity and reduce filtrate invasion into the formation at elevated temperatures and salinities. By combining strong sulfonic-group hydrophilicity with carboxylate functionality, AA/AMPS-containing polymers achieve good thermal stability and salt tolerance, making them suitable for deep-well drilling environments.
• In water-flooding and produced-water systems, AA/AMPS can work with other inhibitors and biocides in multifunctional packages that simultaneously control scaling, corrosion and microbial growth. By improving the cleanliness and stability of injection and produced waters, AA/AMPS-based products help maintain throughput and extend the service life of pipelines, heat-exchange equipment and reservoir formations.

Other Industrial and Emerging Applications

• AA/AMPS is also applied in a range of other industries. In coatings, inks and pigment-dispersion systems, it serves as a dispersant and stabilizer, improving pigment dispersibility, reducing viscosity and enhancing film uniformity and gloss. In nanomaterials, AA/AMPS helps disperse nanoparticles such as nano-calcium carbonate and prevents agglomeration, improving suspension stability and enabling more uniform incorporation into polymer or composite matrices.
• In food-related and pharmaceutical fields, AA/AMPS can be used in water-treatment and equipment-cleaning chemicals that contact food-grade production lines, where its low-phosphorus, high-efficiency characteristics are advantageous. Structurally modified AA/AMPS derivatives are also being explored as drug-delivery carriers and functional excipients, where their hydrophilicity, ionic character and potential for controlled degradation can be tailored for specific controlled-release applications. As environmental and performance requirements tighten across multiple industries, AA/AMPS continues to expand into new areas such as high-concentration water-reuse systems, high-hardness water circuits, marine engineering and high-purity water production for electronics and other advanced manufacturing.

Storage & Handling

• Store in sealed plastic drums, protected from direct sunlight
• Keep in cool, ventilated conditions
• Avoid contact with strong oxidizers
• Maintain clean and grounded equipment during transfer

Usage Notice

• Wear protective gloves and goggles during handling
• Avoid strong acids or alkalis without compatibility testing
• Conduct small-scale formulation tests before mass application
• Comply with local regulations for chemical disposal
• Circulating cooling-water base program: AA/AMPS used alone at 5–30 mg/L in standard industrial cooling-water systems serves as a scale inhibitor and dispersant with calcium-carbonate scale-inhibition rates typically above 95 %.
• Cooling-water synergistic blend with organophosphonate: AA/AMPS combined with organophosphonate at a total dosage of 10–15 mg/L in systems operating at pH 7.0–9.5 provides synergistic scale inhibition with overall inhibition efficiency higher than 98 %.
• Cooling-water formulation with zinc: AA/AMPS blended with zinc salts at a total active dosage of 10–20 mg/L in carbon-steel systems offers high scale control while achieving corrosion-inhibition efficiencies above 90 %.
• High-efficiency cooling-water composite: a high-hardness, high-alkalinity cooling-water inhibitor consisting of 30–35 % AA/AMPS, 18–28 % PBTCA, 15–20 % EDTMPA and 10–15 % phosphono-carboxylate copolymer dosed at 8–15 mg/L delivers more than 98 % scale inhibition and over 90 % corrosion protection in demanding recirculating systems.
• Phosphorus-free cooling-water formula: a green inhibitor comprising 5–10 % AA/AMPS, 1–5 % additional dispersant, 5–10 % organic acids, 5–10 % organic carboxylate salts and 5–10 % chitosan derivatives used at 10–30 mg/L satisfies strict phosphorus-free discharge requirements with high biodegradability.
• Standard RO antiscalant: a reverse-osmosis antiscalant containing AA/AMPS together with PASP, PAPEMP and PBTCA at defined mass fractions, dosed in the low tens of milligrams per liter, protects RO membranes treating brackish or industrial water from CaCO₃ and CaSO₄ scaling.
• RO formulation with cellulose gum: a high-efficiency RO blend based on AA/AMPS and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose used at around 80 mg/L in mine-water or high-hardness feed extends membrane-cleaning intervals and maintains flux.
• Pulping application: AA/AMPS dosed at 0.5–3.0 % on oven-dry pulp in chemical pulping processes chelates transition-metal ions and improves pulp brightness and stability.
• Papermaking retention and dispersion aid: AA/AMPS used at 0.01–0.1 % on oven-dry pulp during papermaking improves filler retention, enhances sheet formation and increases opacity and print quality.
• Textile pretreatment liquor: AA/AMPS at 0.5–2 g/L in desizing and bleaching baths operated at pH 7–11 and 30–95 °C complexes hardness ions, stabilizes peroxide and improves fabric cleanliness and whiteness.
• Reactive or disperse-dye dyeing bath: AA/AMPS used at 1–3 g/L in dye baths with pH 4–10 and temperatures of 40–130 °C acts as a chelating dispersant and leveling agent to prevent dye flocculation and improve shade uniformity.
• Textile-equipment cleaning solution: AA/AMPS at 3–5 g/L in cleaning baths with pH 5–9 and temperatures of 50–80 °C assists in removing scale and color deposits from dyeing and printing equipment.
• Metal-cleaning formulation: a cleaner composed of 5–10 % glycolic or similar organic acid and 1–3 % AA/AMPS operated at 40–60 °C effectively removes oxide scale and water deposits from metal surfaces with controlled corrosion.
• Cyanide-free copper-plating bath: a non-cyanide copper plating electrolyte containing 8–12 g/L copper, 80–250 g/L AA/AMPS-based complexant, 20–30 g/L potassium sulfate and 40–60 g/L copper sulfate at pH 8.5–9.5 and 20–40 °C provides uniform, dense copper coatings at 0.5–1 A/dm².
• Phosphating bath additive: a zinc dihydrogen phosphate bath containing 30–50 g/L Zn(H₂PO₄)₂ and 0.5–2.0 g/L AA/AMPS at 60–70 °C produces refined, compact phosphate coatings with improved corrosion resistance and paint adhesion.
• Phosphorus-free laundry liquid: a detergent formulation in which AA/AMPS is used at 0.1–0.5 % alongside anionic surfactants, chelating co-builders and enzymes provides effective cleaning performance in hard water without the use of STPP.
• Eco dishwashing liquid: an environmental dishwashing formulation using AA/AMPS at 0.5–1.5 % strengthens removal of metal and mineral soils from tableware and maintains clarity and stability during storage.
• Personal-care hair-dye system: oxidative hair-dye formulations containing 0.1–0.5 % AA/AMPS use it as a stabilizer for peroxide oxidants, preventing premature decomposition and stabilizing dyeing performance.
• Shampoo and body-wash base: cleansing products formulated with AA/AMPS at low levels use its chelating and dispersing properties to improve cleaning in hard water and to maintain product stability over shelf life.
• Oilfield injection-water inhibitor: AA/AMPS-based scale inhibitors dosed at 5–30 mg/L in injection-water systems prevent carbonate and sulfate scale formation in pipelines and formation pore spaces.
• Drilling-fluid filtrate reducer: AA/AMPS-containing copolymers used at a few percent of drilling-fluid weight act as high-temperature, salt-resistant fluid-loss reducers that stabilize filter cakes and limit filtrate invasion.
• High-concentration-reuse water program: AA/AMPS used in combination with organophosphonates and auxiliary dispersants at optimized ratios enables high concentration multiples in water-reuse systems while maintaining low scale and corrosion rates.
• Coating and ink dispersant: AA/AMPS added at low percentages to coating or ink formulations acts as a pigment dispersant and stabilizer, lowering viscosity, improving storage stability and enhancing film smoothness and gloss.
• Nanomaterial dispersion: AA/AMPS used at appropriate levels in nano-calcium-carbonate or other nanomaterial slurries prevents particle agglomeration, improves flow and supports uniform incorporation into downstream products.
• Food- and pharma-plant water treatment: AA/AMPS-based water-treatment formulations applied at standard dosages in food and pharmaceutical process water circuits provide scale control and metal chelation in systems where low-phosphorus, high-efficiency treatment is required.

Packaging

• Plastic drums: 25 kg / 200 kg / 250 kg
• Custom packaging available on request